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- Why might support programs be needed?
Often numeracy support programs are required because a student has missed some crucial understanding in their mathematics and numeracy development. Because maths continually builds on previous knowledge this can cause huge gaps in understanding and therefore have an ongoing impact on progress.
The children you are supporting might:
have a particular learning disability which affects their capacity to learn mathematics / numeracy
have missed crucial elements and need to try and fill in some of the gaps
have dyscalculia, which is a disability that affects your ability to understand and work with number and other maths ideas
be EAL / ESL / EALD students who need support whilst learning the language around mathematics and numeracy learning
have not learned key basic concepts in a way that they understood.
2. Have expectations that everyone can learn and use positive language
2. Have expectations that everyone can learn and use positive language
The language you use when supporting numeracy is crucial. Support needs to be positive and highlight what the child is having success at.
Keeping thinking...
That was a great strategy to use...
Will you try drawing a picture or making a table?
I really liked the way you tried a few different strategies...
3. Clearly state the learning goals for the session or what the lesson focus will be and how students will be assessed
3. Clearly state the learning goals for the session or what the lesson focus will be and how students will be assessed
Key goals for you when supporting students in numeracy programs are to build :
confidence
numeracy/mathematics independence
real life application of maths processes
and to make maths and numeracy learning fun and effective
Read or re-read the Thelma Perso article about Increasing Numeracy Independence.
As you introduce the learning specify the goal/s for students:
As you introduce the learning specify the goal/s for students:
Examples:
By the end of the lesson you will be able to add two digit numbers
By the end of the lesson you will be able to read the calendar and tell me how to find the month and the day
By the of these two lessons you will be able to work out the area of a regular quadrilateral.
4. Use and apply mathematics skills in numeracy contexts
4. Use and apply mathematics skills in numeracy contexts
In many schools there is a deliberate attempt to have students use the skills they are learning in mathematics in real life situations - or through numeracy activities. In each situation teachers set up these learning opportunities using guidelines for creating authentic tasks. In the Maths classroom an authentic task (see below) is created based on something the students might use Maths for outside the school environment. It is designed to encourage students to:
see how and when Maths is used in real life
use Maths in practical situations
be more confident users of Maths
get them to work together to create possible solutions.
5. Scaffold the learning in ways which makes sense for the learner, including teaching and supporting the use of a range of strategies.
5. Scaffold the learning in ways which makes sense for the learner, including teaching and supporting the use of a range of strategies.
Scaffolding Strategies
Excavating
Includes drawing out, digging, uncovering what is known and making it transparent.
question systematically to find out what students know or make the known explicit, explore children’s understanding
Modelling
Includes demonstrating, directing, instructing, showing, telling, funnelling, naming, labelling and explaining.
show students what to do and/or how to do it, instruct, explain, demonstrate, tell and offer behaviour for imitation.
Collaborating
Includes acting as an accomplice, co-learner/problem-solver, co-conspirator and negotiating.
work interactively with students on a task to jointly achieve a solution, contribute ideas, try things out, respond to suggestions of others, invite comments/opinions in what they are doing and accept critique.
Extending
Includes challenging, spring boarding, linking and connecting.
set significant challenge, use open-ended questions to explore extent of children’s understanding, facilitate generalisations and provide a context for further learning.
There are many more strategies. Look on the TDC lesson Provide Numeracy Support for more suggestions.
6. Have children problem solve, ask questions of themselves, check their responses
6. Have children problem solve, ask questions of themselves, check their responses
Have the students question their own learning.
Have them describe their findings
Have then justify their responses
Have them share their working out with classmates, the teacher, with you.
Use Newman's prompts - find out why the student is making mistakes. Say:
Please read the question to me. If you don’t know a word, leave it out
Tell me what the question is asking you to do
Tell me how you are going to find the answer. What maths will you use?
Show me what to do to get the answer
‘Talk aloud’ as you do it, so that I can understand how you are thinking
Now, write down your answer to the question. (Newman, 1983)
6. Choose and use appropriate resources for learning
6. Choose and use appropriate resources for learning
Sometimes you might be asked to find a suitable resource to support student learning.
These sites all have reputable and usually well desgined Maths/Numeacy activities
Maths/Numeracy commercial websites
Maths/Numeracy commercial websites
NRich https://nrich.maths.org/
youcubed https://www.youcubed.org/tasks/
Maths is Fun https://www.mathsisfun.com/activity/index.html
Education.com https://www.education.com/activity/
TopMarks UK https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=16
Cool Math for Kids https://www.coolmath4kids.com/
Math Playground - http://www.mathplayground.com/
http://mentalmathematics.weebly.com/strategiesactivities.html
Password protected sites
Password protected sites
Illuminations https://illuminations.nctm.org/
Scootle https://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/login.action (you will need your login)
Mathletics (school or parent pays) https://www.mathletics.com/au/
Maths Online (school or parent pays) https://www.mathsonline.com.au/
Maths Australia (school or parent pays) https://mathsaustralia.com.au/
Cambridge Hot Maths (school or parent pays) https://www.hotmaths.com.au/
quicksmart Maths Intevention for Middle school students https://simerr.une.edu.au/quicksmart/numeracy-program/
Kinetic Education (Parent pays) https://www.kineticeducation.com.au/
Mathsbuilder https://www.mathsbuilder.com.au/about/about_mathsbuilder
Monash GRIN Maths Intervention https://www.monash.edu/education/professional-continuing-education/numeracy/grin
Use the Australian Curriculum website to find resources
Use the Australian Curriculum website to find resources
For example:
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/mathematics/
choose Year 8
browse the learning and resources
do again with year 5
ABC Resources for Primary school math - filter by year, type of resource etc
ABC Resources for Primary school math - filter by year, type of resource etc
Maths / Numeracy activities from the NSW Department of Education
Maths / Numeracy activities from the NSW Department of Education
Websites are not always good for student learning!
Websites are not always good for student learning!
When you have an activity identified, work out whether it teaches the idea or whether it assumes the children have been taught already and practises the idea.
One element you need to continue to work on is choosing appropriate resources for learning to ensure that the strategies suggested or that you are using match the processes being learnt or practised. There are many many mathematics and numeracy resources on the web and in books which say that they help to teach. What they do is give students lots of practice but do NOT actually teach anything.
Compare these resources. Which one do you think will better help children to learn? Why?
http://www.snappymaths.com/counting/fractions/interactive/multisharing/multisharing.htm
http://www.k5learning.com/free-math-worksheets/third-grade-3/fractions-and-decimals
https://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/pin with the following code
SCFTQG
8a. Ask questions such as what are you doing and why are you doing it that way?
8a. Ask questions such as what are you doing and why are you doing it that way?
When working in numeracy support programs, it is crucial to ask students to explain what they are doing and why. It is only by doing this that you can understand the student's thinking and work out what they do and don't understand. An answer only will not do that.
9. Teaching and checking reasonableness of responses
9. Teaching and checking reasonableness of responses
Example: using a number line
Example: using a number line
10. Increase independence
10. Increase independence
As you work with children, your goal is to give them the skills to acquire independence in mathematics and numeracy.
Read or re-read the Thelma Perso article about Increasing Numeracy Independence.
11. Give effective feedback
11. Give effective feedback
Visit the website and summarise what effective feedback is including forms of feedback and feedback to support students
12. Use communication techniques for effective interaction
Collaborative and positive supports for students
Collaborative and positive supports for students
Each student is a unique individual, with their skills, strengths, stresses and challenges. The SLSO gathers information from the supervising teacher and collaborates with the student to understand where the student’s learning challenges may arise and develop a plan based on what the student understands about how they learn.
A common issue in mathematics instruction, particularly in older students, is that they may be working after step one as listed in the four steps of resilient learning.
Many of these students will be displaying signs of learned helplessness. An important part of your role as an SLSO may be to support these students to participate and engage in attempting a learning task.
The SLSO therefore needs to understand how to work with individuals and effectively communicate with them to build a collaborative and positive approach to learning.
Skills required to build the relationship between the student and SLSO include:
active listening
understanding and empathy
questioning skills
giving instruction and direction.
Active listening
Active listening
This is the skill of listening to a person with complete engagement, taking in and interpretating their verbal, non-verbal and emotional communication – not just waiting for your chance to speak. This skill requires you to be engaged and focused enough to know when to (and how to) respond appropriately based on what was said.
Depending on where you look or who you ask, the steps for active listening can vary, but they typically include:
begin by being attentive – this needs to continue for the entire conversation
ask open-ended questions (except when a yes or no answer is necessary)
ask probing questions to find out more
clarify what you have understood
paraphrase what they have said along with your analysis of what they mean, ensuring your understanding is accurate
be empathetic and attune to the feelings of the person: match your verbal and non-verbal communication with theirs (e.g., tone of voice, posture and bodily cues)
summarise to clarify and build an overview of the conversations and its main points.
Understanding and empathy
Understanding and empathy
It is important in everyday life to demonstrate understanding and empathy – it is just as important to do so in the classroom, especially with students who may get frustrated and lack confidence in mathematics. It is important to put yourself in the student’s shoes and consider how it must feel to need support where others may not.
To empathise is to share in the emotional journey with the other person, using active listening to show your understanding and share verbally when needed, for example, saying ‘I can see that this is so frustrating for you’ when the person pauses their speech and displays frustrated behaviours.
It may be helpful to ask the student what they want to achieve and to share how they are feeling with you so that you can work together to support both their learning and the emotional journey that challenges can cause. You could ask the student to communicate this information by creating visual representations, writing in a book or journal, or having verbal ‘check-ins’ with you. Some students might like to start the day with a quick sensory or word game to support their feelings that day towards learning.
Questioning skills
Questioning skills
For some students direct questioning can be stressful and confrontational. Instead, try using less direct methods, such as using ‘I wonder’ statements:
‘I wonder why that happened. How confusing! What else could we do to solve this problem?’
‘I wonder if we can remember the formula. Maybe we can come back to this.’
Giving instruction and direction
Giving instruction and direction
The manner in which a teacher or SLSO communicates an instruction or direction to a student can vary. These variations may be due to their English skills, communication development, mood, emotional sensitivities, or ability to create multiple or complex instructions.
Instruction styles can be thought about through the lens of the different learning styles of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, where the student may be able to understand the instruction, direction or information better in a certain format, such as:
visual instruction diagrams
verbal discussions and modelled and worked examples
trial and error (through physically doing the task, which counts as kinetic activity)
verbal reminders of instruction and the ability to reposition
instructional scaffolding
instruction or direction breakdown – deconstruct the instructions further.
The student may also benefit from being afforded multiple opportunities to practise the task.
13. Provide feedback and evaluation of student progress to teacher
13. Provide feedback and evaluation of student progress to teacher
Teacher feedback about student learning is essential for students and integral to teaching, learning and assessment. Feedback can clarify for students:
how their knowledge, understanding and skills are developing in relation to the syllabus outcomes and content being addressed
how to improve their learning.
Principles of effective feedback
Principles of effective feedback
Feedback enables students to recognise their strengths as well as areas for development and to identify and plan with their teacher the next steps in their learning. Students should be provided with opportunities to improve their knowledge, understanding and skills through feedback that:
is timely, specific and related to the learning and assessment intention
is constructive and provides meaningful information to students about their learning in a variety of forms
focuses on the activity and corrects misunderstandings
identifies and reinforces students’ strengths
provides information about how they can improve
facilitates the development of and provides opportunities for self-assessment and reflection during the learning process
informs future teaching and learning opportunities.
As per NSW Education Standards Authority, feedback can occur at any point in the teaching, learning andassessment cycle. It may:
include regular teacher-student dialogue to guide student learning
focus on particular knowledge, understanding and skills related to content and/or processes applied to an activity.
Forms of feedback
Forms of feedback
The nature of the assessment activity and the context of the learning influences the type of feedback provided to students. Feedback may take a variety of forms, including digital and other modes. It may be formal or informal and should encourage teacher-student dialogue about learning. It may include:
oral feedback from the teacher, student and their peers, such as collaborative activities and conferencing
written feedback from the teacher and/or peers, based on the criteria for assessing learning.
Accurately Record Student Progress
At all times, SLSOs are guided by a whole-school approach and, specifically, the teacher(s) with whom they work. The teachers plan out the learning and the learning support staff assist in implementing supports for specific students according to the specifications of the teacher.
In most cases the process of developing learning supports for specific students is collaborative, as the SLSO can spend almost as much time as the teacher observing and analysing the needs of the student, so their input is very helpful.
Communication between the teacher and SLSO is imperative, as they both rely on a thorough understanding of the student’s progress to know:
whether the set goals and strategies are aligned to the student well enough to make progress
when reflection and discussion with the student and teacher is needed (e.g., when progress is not observable)
how to adjust strategies – strategies are adjusted based in part on the monitoring and feedback of the SLSO.
The SLSO must comply with the requirements of the teacher, the curriculum, legislation and school policies and procedures. These requirements will cover areas such as:
confidentiality and privacy
inclusion
diversity, equity and disability
child safety, wellbeing and engagement
school values, principles or expectations
health and safety
the role of the SLSO.
Activity: Assessment
Go to theProject Assessment (Assessment 2) and do Part 2 Question 1 and 2
Maintain student confidentiality
Maintain student confidentiality
Protecting information maintains trust and confidence in the department.
The department is committed to protecting personal and health information in accordance with the law. The department is also committed to improving openness, transparency and ease of public access to our information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.
As a department employee, you must:
not disclose confidential information in any form to any party without official approval, or as otherwise permitted by legislation or court order
only disclose information when it is authorised, seeking advice if you are uncertain
protect confidential information from unauthorised access.
Examples of appropriate and inappropriate conduct
Examples of appropriate and inappropriate conduct
Appropriate conduct
Appropriate conduct
A person seeking documents about a funding decision requests information from the department. The information is not published or available by informal request. The person is provided with advice about how to make a formal access application under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. This process ensures the authorised release of information.
Inappropriate conduct
Inappropriate conduct
A teacher uses school records to obtain a parent’s phone number and then contacts the parent to ask them to a romantic dinner. The conduct involves a breach of confidentiality, where there was personal benefit or advantage.
An employee uses their access to student information to obtain information about their former partner from whom they are estranged. The conduct involves a deliberate breach of confidentiality for personal benefit or advantage.
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